Process of producing carbureted air



PATENTEDJAN. 19, 1904.

` B. P. WILSON. PROCESS 0F PRODUGING GARBURETED AIR.

f APPLICATION FILED 0012.19, 1903.

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No. '749,76'7. 4 PATBNTED JAN. 19, 1904.

` E.`F. WILSON. I

PROCESS 0F PRODUGING GARBURETED AIR.

- APPLICATION FILED 00T.19, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 19, 1904. l

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. WILSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE S.

WELLES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS oF PRoDuolNe. CARBURETED Am.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,767, dated January 19, 1904.

Application filed October 19, 1903. Serial No. 177,642. (No specimens.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Process for Producing Carbureted Air; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a novel process fory producing carbureted air, the object being to provide a simple and eflicient process of this character; and it consists in the various steps hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating apparatus adapted for use in carrying out my process, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus suited to my purpose. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 3 3 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail section showing the inlet for the hydrocarbon fluid and the means for distributing the same uniformly over the carbureter-plates.

My said apparatus comprises an air-compressor 1, preferably of the low-pressure type, having large capacity and delivering air at a pressure of from three to ve pounds. The said blower 1 is connected at its delivery end, by means of a pipe 2, with the four-arm coupling 3, from which a pipe 4 leads into the bottom of a heating-chamber 5, containing a steam-heating coil 6, having connection with a source of supply of steam at its upper end and with an exhaust at its lower end. Leading from the upper end of said heating-chamber 5 is a pipe 7, entering the lower end of a carbureting-chamber 8, said pipe being provided at its inner end with an inverted funnel 9, having a serrated lower edge, which proconnected with a sourceof supplyof such liquid by means of a valve-controlled pipe 12 and being connected at its upper end with the pipe 4 by means of a valve-controlled pipe 13. Said carbureting-chamber 8 is rectangular in cross-section,and within the same are mounted 5 5 a plurality of alternately oppositely inclined, relatively staggered, and laterally corrugated plates 14C, over which the hydrocarbon liquid flows in a zigzag direction through said chamber, and during such passage a practically rolling motion is imparted to such liquid and its passage arrested at intervals by the formation of little pools, which are continually changed and kept in agitation. Said plates 14 are so inclined relatively to the depth of 65 endsand are provided with flanges 15 on their 70 side edges, by means of which said plates are secured within said chamber 8, said plates being supported on uprights 16, securedto said Iianges. Interposed between the iianges of the uppermost plate 14, adjacent the upper end thereof, is a transverse plate 17 between the lower edge of which and the upper face of said plate a narrow space is left, through which oil introduced through said pipe 10 iiows in a thin film. rJhe gas-outlet from said chamber 8 is at 8O the upper end thereof and is connected, by means of a pipe 18, with the lower end of a storage-tank 19, from which the gas is conducted to points of consumption by means of the valvecontrolled pipe 20. As my process is carried out almost entirely in said chamber 8, I will now further describe the latter in detail and set forth distinctly the steps of my process as carriedout therein. interposed in the path of the hydrocarbon liquid at about the middle of said chamber 8 below the delivery end of one of the plates Meis a rotary fan or agitator 21, upon which the liquid flows and which is constantly rotated in a direction opposite to thel iiow of liquid and with suiiicient rapidity to cause it to spray said liquid andthus finely divide it, while atthevsame time it has the effect of agitating the partly-carbureted air and causing the latter to be intimately mixed with any fresh air which may have escaped contact with, and hence has not been impregnated' with, hydrocarbon fluid. It also has the effect of preventing the slightest stratificationV liquid constantly agitated to prevent stratification thereof, and in order to continually reeXpose such liquid to the air to exhaust it of all volatile constituents or insure its complete evaporation I provide a circulating-pump 22, which is connected at its suction end with the lower end of said chamber 8 and at its delivery end with the upper portion of said chamber, preferably so as to deliver such liquid upon the upper end of the plate which delivers the liquid upon said agitator 21.

In order to render the liquid more volatile, if desired, I provide a tank 23 adjacent the lower end of said chamber 8 and connected with the latter by means of a pipe 24, while at its upper end said tank 23 is connected with the suction end of said pump 22 by means of the pipe 25, controlled by the valve 26. In said tank is a steam heating-coil which serves to heat said liquid as it passes through said tank. I also provide a by-pass pipe 27, connected at one end with said pipe 24 and at its other end with the pipe 25 above the valve 26 therein, so that by closing said valve 26 and opening the valve 28 in said pipe 27 said liquid will pass directly from the lower end of the chamber 8 to said pump 22 without entering said tank 23.

A blow-off pipe 31 rises-from the four-way coupling 3, in which a pressure-regulating or safety valve 32 is interposed to prevent eX- cessive pressure in any part of the apparatus.

Should the gas be too rich to permit perfect combustion at the burners, then it will become necessary to add air thereto at this point, and to this air-presser is connected with the burners by means of the pipe 29, so that compressed air may be added to the gas at such point of consumption, and thereby produce a flame of great force and heat intensity. Burners lsuch as are used in connection with my said apparatus are well known, and illustration thereof is therefore omitted.

It will be particularly noted that in the above-described apparatus the air and hydrocarbon-liquid ow constantly in opposite directions and are maintained in continuous circulation and agitation, and herein lies the gist of my present invention, as by this means I am enabled to expose the maximum surface of liquid to the action of the air, and,` in fact, I expose every atom of said liquid to the air over and over again, thereby producing carbureted air which is very rich in carbon and utilizing every part of the hydrocarbon fluid which is sufciently volatile to admit of evaporation." j

It is an essential step in my process to interrupt the continuous flow of air and liquid,

so as to prevent any stratification of either, and thus absolutely prevent the passage of any unimpregnated air or the uninterrupted flow ror passage of any unbroken film of liquid.- Itis also an essential part of my process to arrest the passage of the liquid at short intervals by the formation of little pools, as in the corrugationsof the plates 14, said pools being constantly changed and renewed by the liowing liquid. The heating of the less volatile body of liquid reintroduced into the carbureter is an addditional step in the process, which is essential to effect the greatest economy.

In order to further insure a thoroughly uniform oarbureted air at the point of consumption, I provide the tank 19 with two horizontal perforated partitions 30, one of which is located adjacent the bottom of said tank above the delivery end of said pipe 18 and the other of which is mounted adjacent the upper Wall of said tank and between which said tank is filled with coke or the like, said plates and filling serving to again finely divide the carbureted air and insuring further admiXture of the more and less saturated portions.

In order to prevent excessive pressure in any part of the apparatus and render the proj duction of carbureted air uniform, I provide a pipe 3l, which rises from the four-way couplling 3 and in which I interpose a pressuren regulating or safety valve 32.

My said process is exceedingly eflicient and produces carbureted air of excellent quality which is rich in carbon and capable of producing very high temperatures suitable for Welding, brazing, and similar metal-working purposes. A

I claim as my invention- 1. The herein-described process of producing carbureted uid which consists in introducing a hydrocarbon Huid and air into a sealed vessel at opposite ends, causing the same to iiow continuously in opposite directions through said vessel in a zigzag direction, finely dividing said liquid throughout its passage, and simultaneously atomizing said liquid and agitating said air at one point in their passage through said vessel.

2. The herein-described process for producing carbureted fluid which consists in introducing a hydrocarbon liquid and fluid to be carbureted into a sealed vessel at opposite ends causing said liquid and fluid to flow continuously through said vessel in opposite directions, atomizing said liquid and agitating said iiuid during a part of their passage through said vessel, and interrupting the rapidity of IOO IIO

the flow of said liquid at intervals during its passage.

3. The herein-described process for produc-` ing carbureted fluid which consists in introducing a hydrocarbon liquid into the upper end of a sealed vessel, introducing a previouslyheated fluid to be carbureted into said vessel at its lower end, dividing said liquid into thin lms during its downward passage through said vessel, atomizing said liquid at one point in its passage, causing said Huid to iow in a direction opposite to the How of said liquid and agitating said uid during a part of its passage.

4. The herein-described process of producing carbureted Huid which consists in introducing into the upper end of a sealed vessel a hydrocarbon liquid, causing same to ow downwardly through said vessel in a finelydivided state and intermittently interrupting said ow, atomizing said liquid during a part of its passage, introducing previously-heated iiuid into the bottom of said vessel and causing same to pass upwardly therethrough, and agitating said fluid during its passage.

5. The herein-described process of producing carbureted Huid which consists in introducing into the upper end of a sealedvessel a hydrocarbon liquid, causing same to low downwardly through said vessel in a nelyg divided state and intermittently interrupting said ilow, atomizing said liquid during a part ofits passage, returning liquid collecting in the bottom of said vessel back into the upper portion thereof, introducing iiuid to be carbureted into the lower end of said receptacle `and causing same to passupwardly there- `divided state and intermittently interrupting said ow, atomizing said liquid during a part of its passage, draining off the liquid collecting in the lower end of said vessel, heating said liquid and returning same into said vessel to repass therethrough, introducing uid to be carbureted into the lower end of said vessel and causing it to pass upwardly through the same, and agitating said fluid during part of its passage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD F. WILSON. Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WVM. LoTz, F. SGHLOTFELD. 

